I'm one of those that watched the movie before the book, as that was the sequence in which I happened to discover them. I would have to say that taking in the story in both forms of medium is an assessment I whole-heartedly agree with. In my case it made parts of the book that aligned with the movie much more enjoyable to read as I remembered the satisfying way they had played on screen (such as the climactic scene near the end of Tim Cavendish's story). It also lent more emotional impact to a part in the book that was different from the movie in Sonmi's revelation at the end of her story. Particularly as I'd remembered the movie version as much more sad but still happy in a way. I could of course go into more detail but I won't put spoilers into the comments. All in all, wonderful book and great movie.
Really enjoyed this one Simon, especially the exploration of how they compliment each other. The movie quite impressed me and I love how it ignored the nesting doll structure to present something more linear and consecutive. Granted now all the viewpoints have to move forward at the same time, but editorially it's quite sound, and the results more or less work. Strangely, I feel like the birthmark being an indicator of the reincarnation lost it's meaning in the movie as the same actors playing different roles suggested different reincarnations and journeys that unfold throughout it's length.
I agree. I didn't think the birthmark worked either on film or in the book, but having the same actors play different roles was a stroke of genius that really brought home the idea of reincarnation.
I saw the film then read the novel. I liked them both. I was amazed at how closely the film followed the book. I think the film did a better job with the Sonmi story
@@ericgabrielbautistajaimes9187 it is funny but I found the best part of the movie compared to the novel was the “Slosha’s Crossin”. I had read the novel first. I feel like it is a more complete story in the film. At the very least, I feel like the novel version worked great in the novel but would have been a let down in the film. I won’t say more to avoid spoilers. I remember reading the Sloosha’s part while on the train to work and finding took a few moments to get used to hearing people speak regular English when I got to the office. 😊
I saw the film first. Fell in love with it. Watched it many times before reading the novel. It helped me keep track of the long list of characters because, as I read the book, I kept imaging the actors from the film. For me it didn’t take anything away from the book by watching the movie (knowing the movie by heart tbh) first.
It definitely works watching the movie before the book. I'm one of those who usually ends up parroting the typical "book is better" but I find myself jaded by the horrible Stephen King adaptations. But with the Cloud Atlas story, it's absolutely amazing both ways, and I don't think I would have ever enjoyed the novel if the movie was created!
I love every chapter in this book. But of course I do have preferences. I think the first two chapters are the ones I like the least, together with the ordeal of timothy cavendish. I'm not a big fan of historian novels, so it was sometimes hard to read these chapters and keep my attention. And Timothy's chapter was...well I wouldn't say uninteresting, but I think the story is not as impactful as the others. And the comedy in there is also not necessarily my humour. But I really loved the Luisa Rey chapter, I'm a big fan of mysteries and thrillers. Right now I also write a horror/thriller story. So I loved this story. And the last two chapters are also great. I love dystopian futures and especially what two futures Mitchell shows us. Sonmi's Journey and Zachry's story are really really interesting and had my full attention nearly all the time through. But all in all it's still a great movie, although I have to admit that I wouldn't buy a book that were solely based on Adam Ewing or Timothy Cavendish. But one thing the author got really great is the linguistic differences and varieties through the time, I study literature and language so it's really interesting to read all these phrases in different styles and slangs through the chapters. It's a great experience I would recommend everyone to go through. Or at least watch the movie, if you're not the reader type. 3hours pure entertainment
My eyes aren't the greatest so I listened to the audio book of Cloud Atlas which opens up its own can of worms - narration is invasive but can be fun. I just listened to the book again and then watched the film which I own on DVD but had never finished till now (?- but true) and I completely agree with you. I adore David Mitchell as a writer. Please read the The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet- it's amazing. But I love the passionate emotional connections between characters in the movie. I was most surprised by the character Tilda who I didn't remember from the book. And I love that the same actors played the parts of the couple as Europeans and then as Asians. My antennae were going a bit mad as I watched the movie because of the problems of our idiotic racist society. I feel so sure that it was viscerally offensive to many people. But the message I took away from it was that we're all connected around and through each other. Thanks for this and I can't wait to hear what you have to say about Kurt Vonnegut whom I adore.
I'll make sure The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoe is the next David Mitchell book I read. Hopefully I do justice to Slaughterhouse-5 for you too. The video is actually out already: th-cam.com/video/64QtRsqoCOs/w-d-xo.html
Hello again Maryanne. I saw you left a comment on the Slaughterhouse-5 video, but I think TH-cam deleted it because you included a link in it. Just wanted to let you know I managed to click the link and enjoy the article before it was taken down. Thanks for sharing. It was certainly a lot of food for thought.
@@ContentLitwithSimonFay Thank you so much for telling me. I was definitely questioning my grip on reality when I saw it was missing and didn't understand why. I had gone back to it because I was feeling a little guilty laying reading assignments on you and was going to make a comment about that- but it wasn't there! I didn't know that putting links in a comment was verboten. I just bought your new book Icon Violet and am looking forward to reading it. I think your channel is really wonderful!
Wow thanks! Icon-Violet is a bit heavy on the sci-fi space action stuff to begin with, but I tried to create a more thoughtful pace in it as it goes on. Hopefully you enjoy it.
I'm one of those that watched the movie before the book, as that was the sequence in which I happened to discover them. I would have to say that taking in the story in both forms of medium is an assessment I whole-heartedly agree with.
In my case it made parts of the book that aligned with the movie much more enjoyable to read as I remembered the satisfying way they had played on screen (such as the climactic scene near the end of Tim Cavendish's story). It also lent more emotional impact to a part in the book that was different from the movie in Sonmi's revelation at the end of her story. Particularly as I'd remembered the movie version as much more sad but still happy in a way.
I could of course go into more detail but I won't put spoilers into the comments. All in all, wonderful book and great movie.
451's story was the one that I really enjoyed in the movie over the book.
Really enjoyed this one Simon, especially the exploration of how they compliment each other. The movie quite impressed me and I love how it ignored the nesting doll structure to present something more linear and consecutive. Granted now all the viewpoints have to move forward at the same time, but editorially it's quite sound, and the results more or less work. Strangely, I feel like the birthmark being an indicator of the reincarnation lost it's meaning in the movie as the same actors playing different roles suggested different reincarnations and journeys that unfold throughout it's length.
I agree. I didn't think the birthmark worked either on film or in the book, but having the same actors play different roles was a stroke of genius that really brought home the idea of reincarnation.
I saw the film then read the novel. I liked them both. I was amazed at how closely the film followed the book. I think the film did a better job with the Sonmi story
In my opinion the film did a better job with the story of Cavendish
@@ericgabrielbautistajaimes9187 it is funny but I found the best part of the movie compared to the novel was the “Slosha’s Crossin”. I had read the novel first. I feel like it is a more complete story in the film. At the very least, I feel like the novel version worked great in the novel but would have been a let down in the film. I won’t say more to avoid spoilers.
I remember reading the Sloosha’s part while on the train to work and finding took a few moments to get used to hearing people speak regular English when I got to the office. 😊
I saw the film first. Fell in love with it. Watched it many times before reading the novel. It helped me keep track of the long list of characters because, as I read the book, I kept imaging the actors from the film. For me it didn’t take anything away from the book by watching the movie (knowing the movie by heart tbh) first.
Fantastic review and presentation, thank you.
OMG
Please for the love of dog please read Puzo's GODFATHER! That's an epic video waiting to happen.
So many books, so little time...
It definitely works watching the movie before the book. I'm one of those who usually ends up parroting the typical "book is better" but I find myself jaded by the horrible Stephen King adaptations. But with the Cloud Atlas story, it's absolutely amazing both ways, and I don't think I would have ever enjoyed the novel if the movie was created!
I love every chapter in this book. But of course I do have preferences. I think the first two chapters are the ones I like the least, together with the ordeal of timothy cavendish. I'm not a big fan of historian novels, so it was sometimes hard to read these chapters and keep my attention. And Timothy's chapter was...well I wouldn't say uninteresting, but I think the story is not as impactful as the others. And the comedy in there is also not necessarily my humour. But I really loved the Luisa Rey chapter, I'm a big fan of mysteries and thrillers. Right now I also write a horror/thriller story. So I loved this story. And the last two chapters are also great. I love dystopian futures and especially what two futures Mitchell shows us. Sonmi's Journey and Zachry's story are really really interesting and had my full attention nearly all the time through. But all in all it's still a great movie, although I have to admit that I wouldn't buy a book that were solely based on Adam Ewing or Timothy Cavendish. But one thing the author got really great is the linguistic differences and varieties through the time, I study literature and language so it's really interesting to read all these phrases in different styles and slangs through the chapters. It's a great experience I would recommend everyone to go through. Or at least watch the movie, if you're not the reader type. 3hours pure entertainment
My eyes aren't the greatest so I listened to the audio book of Cloud Atlas which opens up its own can of worms - narration is invasive but can be fun. I just listened to the book again and then watched the film which I own on DVD but had never finished till now (?- but true) and I completely agree with you. I adore David Mitchell as a writer. Please read the The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet- it's amazing. But I love the passionate emotional connections between characters in the movie. I was most surprised by the character Tilda who I didn't remember from the book. And I love that the same actors played the parts of the couple as Europeans and then as Asians. My antennae were going a bit mad as I watched the movie because of the problems of our idiotic racist society. I feel so sure that it was viscerally offensive to many people. But the message I took away from it was that we're all connected around and through each other. Thanks for this and I can't wait to hear what you have to say about Kurt Vonnegut whom I adore.
I'll make sure The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoe is the next David Mitchell book I read. Hopefully I do justice to Slaughterhouse-5 for you too. The video is actually out already: th-cam.com/video/64QtRsqoCOs/w-d-xo.html
Hello again Maryanne. I saw you left a comment on the Slaughterhouse-5 video, but I think TH-cam deleted it because you included a link in it. Just wanted to let you know I managed to click the link and enjoy the article before it was taken down. Thanks for sharing. It was certainly a lot of food for thought.
@@ContentLitwithSimonFay Thank you so much for telling me. I was definitely questioning my grip on reality when I saw it was missing and didn't understand why. I had gone back to it because I was feeling a little guilty laying reading assignments on you and was going to make a comment about that- but it wasn't there! I didn't know that putting links in a comment was verboten. I just bought your new book Icon Violet and am looking forward to reading it. I think your channel is really wonderful!
Wow thanks! Icon-Violet is a bit heavy on the sci-fi space action stuff to begin with, but I tried to create a more thoughtful pace in it as it goes on. Hopefully you enjoy it.
100/100
First view 😝